Chapter 285: West King Returns to the Dream

You decided to resist to the end!

Thus, you solemnly decided with the friends awaiting your decision: absolutely no surrender!

Your friends had been wavering, but after hearing you say that, they had no choice but to give up the thought of surrender and instead steeled themselves to help the government defend the city……

But you also knew that meaningless resistance couldn't defeat the West King's army; stubborn resistance only leads to breaching the city, and death would still be unavoidable.

You had to think of a plan……

Ding! You gave up meaningless thinking and decided to ask your 'other self' for strategic help; you choose: (?) Please answer freely.

Ask me?

Zhao Si furrowed their brows: 'In such a hopeless situation with no cards at all, what use is asking me……'

Although the West King himself didn't seem strong, his bandit troops were an utterly unstoppable force; to kill the West King, you first had to break through over a thousand bandits……

Wait!

Zhao Si seized the blind spot, eyes shifting: 'Maybe we don't need to defeat the bandits……'

The biggest trouble in the West King's army is the West King himself; as long as you find a way to separate him from his bandit troops, killing him isn't difficult.

Once the West King dies, that bandit troop, bereft of its leader, will surely not be able to hold out long.

After all, according to the prior information, the bandits' combat strength isn't strong; it's only because the Talisman Water Technique makes them unafraid of death that they managed to rout the government army—if the West King and those Daoist priests die……

Now the only difficulty is how to separate them.

Zhao Si flipped through the historical information, pondering: 'From this side‑line, when the West King and his group entered the city, they personally led the Daoist priests at the front of the formation…… This is also his only occasion of being separated from the army; if we could make good use of this opportunity……'

Thinking this through, Zhao Si directly input the strategy: 'Feigned surrender!'

……

Feigned surrender?

Lin Liu stared blankly, then began to consider the feasibility of this plan……

The result of the consideration was:

There's risk! 'But…… we can only give it a try……'

You gritted your teeth, immediately took a few people to the county office to see the county magistrate, and presented the feigned‑surrender strategy.

County Magistrate: ……

The county magistrate's first reaction was that you wanted to collude inside and out to help the bandits seize the city!

But after careful thought, he also felt: rather than sit and wait for death, it's better to try a stratagem……

Thus, under the county magistrate's command, a group of county soldiers and the defending civilians secretly ambushed both sides of the city gate, holding knives, spears, and clubs, while another dozen or so county soldiers gripped crossbows, nervously lying in wait nearby.

As for the bait…… before the county magistrate could even speak, you already volunteered, leading your friends to challenge him!

Thus the matter was quickly settled: you would pretend to surrender and offer the city, welcoming the West King inside……

This dog official!

Leaving the county office, under the tense 'escort' of a group of county soldiers, Lin Liu and a few others headed toward the city gate.

As they walked, someone muttered lowly: 'We were clearly trying wholeheartedly to help him defend the city, yet he makes us act as bait……'

Exactly! Exactly!

Lin Liu listened to the companions' complaints, but sighed inwardly: the county magistrate's approach isn't really blameworthy, because in a critical moment these things cannot be careless.

The county magistrate feared he might actually carry out the pretense, so he assigned him as the bait; if the situation went awry, he would immediately move to surround and kill……

Don't say it!

Lin Liu said in a low voice: 'Everyone, listen to me……'

……

Under the night curtain, the city gate slowly opened!

A group of people brandished torches and rushed out of the city gate, shouting loudly:

"We have already captured the county magistrate; please, West King, enter the city!"

"Damn! Finally let this old man stop waiting!"

Seeing this, the West King, who had been waiting outside the city, was overjoyed; although he could still hold out for two more days of hard fighting, the situation was urgent now, with government troops constantly on his tail, and delay might bring change.

Being able to induce surrender is naturally good! The West King immediately ordered torches lit, leading his fellow disciples and personal troops forward; as for whether the opposite side might be deceitful……

The West King, lacking siege experience, hadn't considered this problem; furthermore, those opposite were precisely the people who had received his Dharma Appearance in a dream, and under the divine majesty it was normal for these ignorant commoners to be intimidated.

The confident West King drew nearer, looking at those few trembling would‑be surrenderers waiting before the city gate; he was very pleased.

But cultivators are ultimately cultivators; as he drew closer, an inexplicable sense of danger welled up!

The West King, suspicious, slowed his steps……

"Please, West King, enter the city!"

The leader opposite shouted again: "The county magistrate has already been seized by us; please, West King, enter the city!"

The West King's brow relaxed, for he could see clearly that the opposite side had only five or six people and carried no weapons…… thus he continued forward, already calculating in his mind:

Although I lead over a thousand refugees rampaging through the county, after all my cultivation is still too low, and besides, government troops are trailing behind—I can't hold this county…… let's just grab a quick loot and run.

Having cultivated the West King Dharma Appearance, my future is bright; I should avoid danger whenever possible, as long as I can continually receive incense and soul offerings, someday I will be able to challenge those clay and wood idols……

Finally, he stepped before those few surrenderers, arrogant, and said: 'I am the West King; did you lot open the city gate for me?'

"Yes……"

Everyone hurriedly bowed down.

"Alright, just wait over there; you'll definitely get your share of benefits!"

The West King merely glanced at them, then bellowed to his subordinates: 'Charge into the city! Anyone whose household does not worship the character "West" may loot at will—whatever you seize is yours!'

"Long live the West King!"

The bandit troops cheered and leapt with joy; while those few surrenderers, upon hearing this, obviously grew a little panicked, but the West King paid them no mind, his thoughts filled with the city's riches.

Xi Wang took the lead, striding into the city gate; over a hundred Daoist priests and personal troops also followed him in, and the several thousand cheering rebel troops closely followed behind……

Fire arrows!!!

Just then, an excited shout rang out; before anyone could react, a volley of arrows flew from within the city……

【Xi Wang and his group had just entered the city when the County Magistrate, already impatient, bellowed the order to fire arrows!】

【In an instant, the chaotic arrow rain engulfed Xi Wang and his men; utterly unprepared, they collapsed like harvested wheat in a flash!】

【Soon after, the several hundred ambushing troops on both sides of the city gate rushed out in disorder, lacking any formation, but dealing with a bunch of demoralized Daoist priests was no problem!】

【Xi Wang was shocked and terrified, about to retreat, but the city gate had already shut, trapping the startled rebel troops about to enter outside, and with it, Xi Wang's hope of survival……】

【After a chaotic scuffle, the Daoist priests and personal troops all fell to the ground; Xi Wang was singled out, a hail of arrows and blades leaving him without a human shape!】

【Xi Wang, who had cultivated a Dharma Manifestation, died so ignominiously……】

【The rebel troops outside the city, having lost their leader, still launched a frantic assault for a while, but lacking siege equipment, trying to pile up men alone was impossible in the short term.】

【Moreover, the county troops on the city wall fired arrows; not long after, this rebel force that relied solely on talisman water to attack the city completely collapsed in morale, scattering like birds and beasts beneath the walls……】

【Your feigned surrender scheme, a great victory!】

【Seeing Xi Wang killed, the anger you had been holding back since the previous subplot finally burst forth.】

【……】

【Not long after your victory in the defense of the city, the government resumed reporting the frontline situation.】

【As it turned out, this Xi Wang was merely one of the rebels in this uprising!】

【In other counties, there were also various rebel armies such as the 'Northern King,' 'Eastern King,' and 'Southern King,' who used demonic magic to bewitch the people, killing and burning everywhere, relying on sorcery like talisman water, causing the government troops to abandon their armor and flee.】

【However, given the dynasty's prosperity, this rebellion will surely be quelled……】

【Moreover, for your useful suggestion, the County Magistrate rewarded you handsomely… Of course, the chief credit surely belongs to him; once the unrest is pacified, an imperial promotion order will likely follow.】

【But just as everyone was rejoicing, the promising County Magistrate suddenly died……】

【The County Magistrate died suddenly, and the whole city was shocked!】

【But no one knows how he died; all they know is that his face was terrified at death, as if he had seen something horrifying.】

【People debated this endlessly.】

【And although you were also surprised by the County Magistrate's sudden death, that very night you learned why he died……】

All directions were a blank expanse.

Lin Liu stood dazedly in this blank expanse of heaven and earth, somewhat at a loss, for he clearly remembered going to bed to sleep—how did he end up here for no reason?

Moreover, Lin Liu inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity with this place, as if……

"It's a dream visitation!"

He suddenly recalled that the last time Xi Wang visited him in a dream, what he saw was exactly this scene.

Only, Xi Wang was missing here……

No! He wasn't missing!

Lin Liu suddenly panicked, for a person slowly approached before him:

He wore a white imperial crown, his whole body shining like a lump of silver!

His appearance was very familiar to Lin Liu; the only difference from memory was that the compassionate look on his face had turned ferocious……

"Can you make it easier for me to find you!"

He gazed at Lin Liu with a ferocious, chilling voice:

"If it weren't for that County Magistrate bastard declaring before his death that you were the one who proposed the plan, I really wouldn't have been able to find you……"

In an instant, Lin Liu's pupils contracted……

(End of chapter)